Apparatus for pressing garment sleeves



Nov. 7, 1944. s. STEINBERG APPARATUS FOR PRESSING GARMENT SLEEVES Filed May 15, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SANDER STEINBERG BY m l-u ATTORNEY Nov. 7, 1944. s; STEINBERG APPARATUS FOR PRESSING GARMENT SLEEVES Filed May 15, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 G R E h n 0E W T. N m R. vfl m WD M m SY B I 1944- s. STEINBERG 2,362,105

APPARATUS FOR PRESSING GARMENT SLEEVES Filed May 15, 1941 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE NTOR SANDER STEINBERG ATTOP N EY Patented Nov. 7, 1944 'APPARATUS FOR PRESSING GARMENT SLEEVES Sander Steinberg, Altoona, Pa, assignor to said Steinberg and Chester A. Miller, copartners, doing businessfias Altoona Sanitary Laundry,

Altoona, Pa.

Application May 15, 1941, Serial No. 393,576

4 Claims. (0

' My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for pressing garment sleeves.

Various types of pressing machines are known in the art.

stationary position abutting the pressing roller while the pressing roller itself has been rotated by hand or by machinery. Great difficulty has been experienced in providing a machine which will press garment sleeves. The roll type of presser machine is absolutely useless for this purpose, for due to its inherent nature, it provides a lateral pressure as well as a thrust pressure in exactly similar fashion to a fiat iron, which is moved laterally over as well as pressed down upon the garment. Garment sleeves are usually provided with gussets adiacent the cuffs and quite often with buttons and pleats. Where one memberimoves laterally in close proximity to another it tends to tear the gussets, rip open the pleats and shear off the buttons. Attempts have been made to press garment sleeves on a platen presser and various forms of stationary bucks and coopcrating heads have been provided for this purpose. The great diificulty with a platen presser of this description has been that each application of the pressing head presses the garment sleeve against the buck and time. must be consumed in freeing the pressed garment sleeve from be removed from a portion of a buck while another portion of the sleeve is being pressed against another portion of the buck and for this purpose I have provided a buck platen movable only for rotation substantially in the same plane that the pressing head platenis only movable in and I construct the rotatable buck of substan- One of said types of pressing machines comprises a so-called platen presser tially the configuration of at least a portion of said garment sleeve and suitably modify the pressing head so that thrust pressure only will be applied against such portion of a garment sleeve as the pressing "head is brought into pressing juxtaposition against in a direction substantially at right angles to the garment sleeve covering the buck platen.

A further feature of my invention is to provide in combination with such a modified rotatable buck in a pressing machine of the platen type of suitable stripping means so that as the buck is partially rotated for subsequent applications of thrust pressure "by the pressing head, the work will be automatically stripped from the buck.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device which will positively not tear the gussets or buttons "and upset the-pleats in the garment sleeve being'pressed as true radial thrust contact only is provided'and nosliding contact is provided, as would be provided with a fiat iron or pressing machine of the roller type.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel method of pressing garment sleeves solely with radial thrust pressure so as to totally eliminate any sliding contact whatsoever of the pressure applying member over the sleeve.

These and such other objects of my invention as may hereinafter appear will be best understood from a description of an embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a pressing machine of the platen type constructed in accordance with my invention with the pressing head in a raised open position.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the pressing machine shown in Fig. 1 looking towards the free end of the rotatable buck.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1 with the pressing head moved to a closed pressing position. i

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the modified type of rotatable buck I preferably employ.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the perforate rotatable sleeve buck platen I preferably employ.

Figs. 6-15 are diagrammatic views illustrating my improved method of pressing the entire periphery of a garment sleeve, Fig. 6 being a diagrammatic end elevation of the rotatable buck with the garment sleeve laid thereon and with the pressing head raised, Fig. 7 being a diagrammatic end elevation of the parts shown-in Fig. 6 with the pressing head brought into closed pressing position and applying thrust pressure only to a portion of the garment sleeve, and Fig. 8 being a diagrammatic end elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing how the rotatable pressing buck may be rotated substantially one-third of its periphery for the next application of thrust pressure to a second third thereof and during such rotation causing a positive stripping of the pressed third of the sleeve from the pressing head as shown in Fig. 9; Figs. 9, 10 and 11 being identical diagrammatic end elevations respectively to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 respectively showing the sequence of steps necessary to press the second third of the garment sleeve, strip it from the rotatable buck and rotate the buck to the position shown in Fig. 12 for the application of thrust pressure to the remaining third of the sleeve; Figs. 12-14 being identical diagrammatic end elevations similar to Figs. 6, '7 and 8 and Figs. 9, 10 and 11 respectively showing the sequence of steps necessary to press the last third of the garment sleeve and strip it from the rotatable buck; and Fig. 15 being a perspective view showing how the pressed and stripped sleeve and adjacent shirt portion may be axially removed from the rotatable buck after the sequence of steps diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 6-14 have been performed thereon.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, generally indicates a garment sleeve to be pressed and preferably additionally stripped .by my improved method. Employing my improved method I am enabled through the application of a thrust pressure only substantially at right angles to the axis of the sleeve to press the garment without the application of lateral tearing pressure to the gusset 2! thereof, or buttons or pleats which are often present on garment sleeves. No method has been hitherto provided for pressing garment sleeves in a satisfactory manner. Even employing a flat iron the sleeves have had to be laid fiat 0n the ironing board, or on a suitable form and it has been substantially impossible to apply a true radial thrust pressure to the axis of the garment sleeve for no matter what care has been taken the iron has always slid over the surface of the sleeve, nor have fiat irons been of sufficient weight to apply sufiicient pressure over buttons or pleats to iron them in a satisfactory manner. In

accordance with my method I axially pull the garment sleeve 20 over a' rotatable member 22 having a periphery 24 of the general configuration of a garment sleeve and if it be desired to simultaneously strip the garment sleeve from said rotatable member, a rotatable member having a periphery of the general configuration of a portion only of said garment sleeve and a stripping finger 26 extending parallel thereto at a spaced distance 28 therefrom are provided, the garment sleeve thus being axially pulled over a portion of the periphery of the rotatable member 22 and the stripping finger 26 during the initial lay of the garment sleeve on the rotatable member. The gussets, pleats, or buttons may thus be definitely laid in a flat position on the periphery of the rotatable member, but if desired a portion of the periphery of the garment sleeve free of such irregularities may be initially laid on the rotatable member for the application of thrust pressure thereto.

I have shown in the drawings a sleeve 20 having a cuiT 30 attached thereto-with the gusset 2| extending through said cufi and a substantial distance axially of the end of the sleeve. It is obvious, however, that certain types of sleeves do not have gussets. I then apply thrust pressure in a single plane substantially at right an gles to said garment sleeve 20 and rotatable member 22 only to a portion 32 of said garment sleeve overlying a portion 34 of said rotatable member 22. In the improved method shown this is accomplished by moving the pressing head 36 having a concave pressing surface 38 of substantially the configuration of the portion 34 of the buck platen 22' against which it abuts in a single plane against the portion 32 of the garment sleeve and 34 of the rotatable member as shown in Fig. '7. After thrust pressure has been applied to the portion 32, in the embodiment shown, comprising substantially one-third of the sleeve to smooth or fiatten it as shown at 4B in Figs. '7 and 8, the rotatable member 22 may I be positively partially rotated by the hand 42 or in any other suitable manner to bring another portion 44 of the sleeve, in the embodiment shown, another third 44 of the periphery of the garment sleeve in juxtaposition over the portion 46 of the rotatable member for a subsequent application of thrust pressure only thereto by again pressing down the pressing head 36 in juxtaposition against the portion 44 of the sleeve in the manner shown in Fig. 10. Where the stripping finger 26 is employed the pressed portion or third 32 of the garment sleeve 20 will be rotated by the hand 42 to the position shown in Fig. 9 stripping said portion 32 from the adjacent portion 34 of the rotatable member 22.

Figs. 912 illustrate how the next portion or third 44 of the sleeve 22 is similarly pressed against the portion or third 46 of the rotatable member and similarly stripped therefrom.

Figs. 11-14 illustrate how the last third 48 of the garment sleeve 22 overlying the last third 50 of the rotatable member 22 is similarly pressed and stripped therefrom.

It is thus obvious that the applications of thrust pressure and intermediate positive partial rotations of said rotatable member and garment sleeve are repeated, in the embodiment shown, three times until said rotatable member 22 is completely rotated and said garment sleeve 23 completely pressed with thrust pressure only and with no relativesliding contact of the pressing members thereover and stripped from said rotatable member 22..

As shown in Fig. 15 the completely pressed sleeve .20 and adjacent shirt portion 52 may be axially removed from said rotatable member 22 and stripping finger 26 by pulling it axially out over the free end 54 of said rotatable member 22.

While my improved method may be performed by hand or automatically by any suitable mechanism, I have discovered that it may be accurately performed by a modified type of platen press, particularly a platen press '56 of standard type in. which the pressing head 36 is mounted on the end of a pressing lever 58 pivotally mounted on an extension 60 projecting upwardly from the frame 64 in rear of the table 62 and in which the usual buck 22 is modified into the rotatable member 22, although any type of a press for applying the pressure thrust of a presser head platen movable in a single plane substantially at right angles to a portion of the garment sleeve 20 covering a buck platen 22 movable only for rotation substantially in the plane of the movementof the pressing head may be employed. said pressing machine 56 of the movable platen typeeomprises the usual frame 64 on which aeoa ros ithe table 62 and projection fill are mounted as usual.

To mount the buckplaten 22 :above said table I (provide a support 11:2 projecting upwardly from "adjacent .one end only .of said table having ,an-

For sbuck platen 22 rotatably mounted thereon, I epreferably so construct my rotatable member '22 that itxwil l immediately stop its rotation and assumea set position immediately on release of rotating torque thereon so that its set position may be immediately attained iorthe application 1 of thrust pressure solely thereto '-by the depression of the pressing head 36. For ithi-S purpose the axle portion 11-4 is preferably constructed of trustoeconioal shape, tapering outwardly as at l6 andthe "rotatable buck platen =22 is prefer ably mounted as a sleeve 2-2 to rotate on said .zaxlelpor'tion sleeve .22 on said axle portion -14 I provide an- As means -for supporting said snular bearing means on the periphery of said -axle portion, preferably comprising a plurality of axially spaced annular bearings, in my preterred embodiment shown, one annular bearing 18 being located at the inner end thereof -ansaid axle '14 without any tilting movement. The

axle portion 14 is preferably constructed hollow so as to provide the central chamber 84 thereof as a heating chamber and suitable means i114 and sleeve 22min Leach have a' free lend over which the garment sleeve .20 .may be readily drawn and withdrawn in :the manner indicated :ini-Fig. 15, with the .cuff 30 on the free end of the garment sleeve overlying the free .end 54 of the rotatable member 22. The pressing surface :38 of :thepressing head .36 is preferably transversely conca-ved and is of substantially-the configuration Oflthe portion of said buck platen 22 immediately underlying it and is preferably similarly out- .-wardly tapered as at .31 to the periphery of the rotatable buck platen 22, and onraising of the power arm of :the pressing lever '58 is movable only in asingle plane substantially at right an .gles towards said buck platen 22.

Suitable means are provided to move said pressinghead platen 36 towardssaid buck platen 22 in said single plane only to applythrust pressure only against a then stationary portion of the-garment sleeve20 mounted on the then sta- I tionary buck platen '22, suoh'as the respective third portions 32,- l4-and48 of the garment-sleeve overlying the respective third portions 34, 46 and '59 .of the buck and to reverselydraw said. pressing head platen 36 away from said buck platen '22. Whil any suitable means may be provided for this purpose; power actuated or otherwise, I have shown in the drawings a foot treadle 8'. operating suitable linkage, including the bell crank toggle '98 and lever toggle Hill, to raise the power arm-0f said pressing lever 58on depression of said foot treadle 96 to-pivot the pressing head 33 into pressing juxtaposition with the garment sleeve 28 and rotatable buck platen 22, and conversel-y to permit lowering of the pressing lever by'the weight of-the power arm I 02 when pressure is removed from the root treadle :96 and consesuch as the inlet pipe 86 may be provided 'for I inserting live steam within said heating chamcomprises the sleeve 22, Preferably a frusto-coni- 7 cal sleeve 22 similarly outwardly tapered as at 19.0. It is thus obvious that the inner periphery of the sleeve 22 rests on and is supported by the annular bearings 18, 80 and 82. It is apparent that with this construction employing a light 7 thin sleeve rotating on a relatively heavy enlarged axle thatthe rotation of the sleeve 22 will immediately stop once the application off turnme torque is withdrawn from said'sleeve 22. It is obvious that alternatively in case a sleeve 22', or other rotatable member is freely rotatable on its respective axle 814 that analogous means other than the structure of the actual sleeve itself such as suitable braking means may be employed for causing the immediate cessation of rotation of said sleeve 22 on said axle 14 upon the cessation .of the application of turning torque thereto. This is an inherently desirable feature of my invention as distinguished from the free rotation of the rollers in roller presses which are mounted .on non-friction'bearings to rotate freelyafter the application of turning torque to lessen the amount of power required for their rotation. The .sleeve 22 maybe perforated if desired as shown at-92 and a suitable preferably pervious resilient covering for said platen buck may be provided, such as the .outer felt covering 94. With the axle 14 and pressing buck 22 rotatable thereon mount- .ed on the single support 12 projecting upwardly 'trom said frame, it is obvious that both the axle quent raising of the pressing head 36 away from said buck platen 2 2.

,;As stated hitherto, a great difficulty with the use of presses of the platen type in pressing garment sleeves has been the loss .of time required in removing the pressed portion of the sleeve from the ,buck 22' after the application of ironing'p-ressure thereto. It is obvious that employing my improved rotatable buck that after each lowering of the pressing head t5 during subsee quen't raising vthereof, the rotatablemernber 22 and attached garment sleeve 20 maybe quickly rotated to bring a non-pressed portion of the garment sleeve into position immediately below the head so that the pressing head 35 may be immediately lowered to press a further portion of the garment sleeve immediately after itsfirst pressing operation.

Employing my improved method and pressing machine, I am additionally enabled to provide therewith a novel method of automatically stripping the pressed portions of the garment sleeve from the rotatable member 22 as the rotatable member 22 with the garment sleeve mounted thereon is being positively partially rotated to bring the adjacent unpressed portion of the gar ment sleeve into position immediately below the pressing head 36 for its immediate subsequent pressingby thrust pressure and for this purposeI provide suitable stripping. means, such .as the stripping finger 2S hitherto described, rigidly mounted on said press to extend adjacent and parallel to said buck platen at a closely spaced distance it therefrom. I employ theword stripping finger in the claims as significant of its function regardless of the particular mechanical shape the stripping means may assume. In the preferred embodiment shown, the stripping finger 26 comprises the wire rod 26 having its outer end I04 bent at right angles upwardly and provided with a loop I06 for surrounding the stud I98 projecting axially from the free outer end of the axle 14. said bolt and may be of a radial length as shown, to abut the outer edge of the rotatable sleeve 22 to retain it in position against axial movement on said annular bearings 78, 80 and 82. After the disc I I and loop I06 are mounted on said stud H18 the nut I I2 may be tightened on said stud I08 and if a braking action is desired it may be tightened in such a manner as to cause the inner surface of said disc to continuously abut the outer edge of said rotatable sleeve 22 to cause it to stop rotation immediately on the cessation of application of turning torque thereto in the event that the rotatable member 22 and axle 14 be constructed other than of the outwardly tapered frustoconical shapes shown, with the sleeve 22 of a light construction relative to the axle 14.

It is thus apparent that with this construction said buck platen 22 and garment sleeve may be retained in a stationary position during the application of thrust pressure and that said rotatable buck platen 22 and garment sleeve 20 may be successively positively partially rotated in the manner hitherto explained to a plurality of set thrust pressure applying positions with the stripping finger 26 positively stripping the pressed portions of said sleeve from said buck platen during such rotation thereof between intermittent applications of thrust pressure by said pressure head platen 36 until said buck platen 22 is completely rotated and said garment sleeve 2!] completely pressed and if the stripping finger 26 be employed, the pressed garment sleeve 29 being also stripped from said buck platen 22.

It is apparent that I have provided a novel method of pressing a garment sleeve which may be accomplished by hand or by a novel method of manipulation of a modified type of platen press, or other mechanisms to completely press any type of a sleeve without damaging any part thereof in a novel satisfactory manner with the advantages described above.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom with out departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a press for applying the pressure thrust of a pressing head platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to a portionof a garment sleeve covering a buck platen movable only for rotation substantially in the same plane, a frame, a support projecting from one portion only of said frame having a hollow outwardly tapered frusto-conical axle portion having axially spaced annular bearings on the periphery thereof between the ends and at the ends thereof, a buck platen comprising an outwardly tapered frusto-conioal perforate sleeve having a, periphery of the general configuration of a portion only of a garment sleeve mounted for rotation on said axle portion bearings, the frictional characteristics of said bearing being such that said buck platen will remain in a set position on release of rotating torque thereon for the application of thrust pressure thereto, a pervious resilient covering for said buck platen and a stripping finger rigidly mounted on said press to extend adjacent and parallel to said buck platen at a closely If desired, a disc I I!) may be first inserted on a sleeve may be pulled over said buck platen and stripping finger from the free ends thereof to have the free end thereof rest over the free end of said buck platen, a pressing head platen having a concave pressing surface of substantially the configuration of a portion of said buck platen and similarly outwardly tapered to the periphery of the rotatable buck platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to said buck platen and means to move said pressing head platen towards said buck platen in said single plane only to apply thrust pressure only against a then stationary portion of said garment sleeve mounted on the then stationary buck platen and away from said buck platen, whereby said buck platen and garment sleeve may be retained in a stationary position during the application of thrust pressure and said rotatable buck platen and garment sleeve may be successively positively partially rotated to a pluraltiy of set thrust pressure applying positions with the stripping finger positively stripping the pressed portion of said sleeve from said buck platen during such rotation between intermittent applications of thrust pressure by said pressing head platen until said buck platen is completely rotated and said garment sleeve completely pressed and stripped from said buck platen and'means to insert live steam within said hollow axle.

2. In a press for applying the pressure thrust of a pressing head platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to a portion of a garment sleeve covering a buck platen movable only for rotation substantially in the same plane, a frame, a support projecting from one portion only of said frame having an axle portion, a buck platen having a periphery of the general configuration of a portion only of a garment sleeve mounted for rotation on said axle portion, and a stripping finger in the form of a substantially rigid rod rigidly mounted on said press to extend adjacent and parallel to said buck platen at a closely spaced distance therefrom so that a garment sleeve may be pulled over said buck platen and stripping finger from the free ends thereof to have the free end thereof rest over the free end of said buck platen, a pressing head platen having a concave pressing surface of substantially the configuration of a portion of said buck platen movable only in a single plane substantially atright angles to said buck platen and means to move said pressing head platen towards said buck platen in said single plane only to apply thrust pressure only against a then stationary portion of said garment sleeve mounted on the then stationary buck platen and away I from said buck platen, whereby said rotatable buck platen and garment sleeve may be successively positively partially rotated to 'a plurality of set thrust pressure applying positions with the stripping finger positively stripping the pressed portion of said sleeve from said buck platen during such rotation between intermittent applications of thrust pressure by said pressing head platen until said buck platen is completely rotated and said garment sleeve completely pressed and stripped from said buck platen.

3. In a press for applying the pressure thrust of a pressing head platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to a portion of a garment sleeve covering a buck platen movable only for rotation substantially in spaced distance therefrom so that a garment the same plane, a frame, a support projecting from one portion only of said frame having an axle portion, a buck platen having a periphery of the general configuration of a portion only of a garment sleeve mounted for rotation on said axle portion, the frictional engagement of said buck platen with said axle portion being such that the buck platen will remain in a set position on release of rotating torque thereon for the application of thrust pressure thereto, and a stripping finger in the form of a substantially rigid rod rigidly mounted on said press to extend adjacent and parallel to said buck platen at a closely spaced distance therefrom so that a garment sleeve may be pulled over said buck platen and stripping finger from the free ends thereof to have the free end thereof rest over the free end of said buck platen, a pressing head platen having a concave pressing surface of substantially the configuration of a portion of said buck platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to said buck platen and means to move said pressing head platen I towards said buck platen in said single plane only to apply thrust pressure only against a then stationary portion of said garment sleeve mounted on the then stationary buck platen and away from said buck platen, whereby said buck platen and garment sleeve may be retained in a stationary position during the application of thrust pressure and said rotatable buck platen and garment sleeve may be successively positively partially rotated to a plurality of set thrust pressure applying positions with the stripping finger positively stripping the pressed portion of said sleeve from said buck platenduring such rotation between intermittent applications of thrust pressure by said pressing head platen until said buck platen is completely rotated and said garment sleeve completely pressed and stripped from said buck platen. I

4. In a press for applying the pressure thrust of a pressing head platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to a portion of a garment sleeve covering a buck platen movable only for rotation substantially in the same plane, a frame, a support projecting from one portion only of said frame having an axle portion having axially spaced annular bearings on the periphery thereof between the ends and at the ends thereof, a buck platen comprising a sleeve having a periphery of the general confi uration of a garment sleeve mounted for rotation on said axle portion bearings, the frictional characteristics of said bearing being such that said buck platen will remain in'a set position on release of rotating torque thereon for the application of thrust pressure thereto so that a garment sleeve may be pulled over said buck platen from the free end thereof to have the free end thereof rest over the free end of said buck platen, a pressing head platen having a concave pressing surface of substantially the configuration of a portion of said buck platen and similarly outwardly tapered to the periphery of the rotatable buck platen movable only in a single plane substantially at right angles to said buck platen and means to move said pressing head platen towards said buck platen in said single plane only to apply thrust pressure only against a then stationary portion of said garment sleeve mounted on the then stationary buck platen and away from said buck platen, whereby said buck platen and garment sleeve may be retained in a stationary position during the application of thrust pressure and said rotatable buck platen and garment sleeve may be successively positively partially rotated to a plurality of said thrust pressure applying positions between intermittent applications of thrust pressure by said pressing head platen until said buck platen is completely rotated and said garment sleeve completely pressed.

SANDER STEINBERG' 

